Star Trek Deep Space Nine: A Dark Discovery
by G.W.Ryan
Summary: The reappearance of a 200 year old missing Starfleet Vessel brings the crew of the USS Defiant closer too the meaning of fear then the war with the Dominion could.
1. Dark Discovery

_**STAR TREK: **__**DEEP SPACE NINCE**_

_**A Dark Discovery**_

_**

* * *

**_

Chapter One: A Dark Discovery

Like any other day on this old Cardassian space station it began slowly for the exception of the last few days of war reports and posting casualty lists for the crew of the station to read and hopefully not find a loved one or close friend. Since the Romulans joined the war against the Dominion-Cardassian Alliance the war had been going in Starfleet's favour. However the crew had learned never to take things at face value as the course of war could turn at a moment's notice.

Captain Benjamin Sisko, seasoned command officer and Emissary to the Prophets of Bajor browsed over the last of the sector combat reports before he finally decided to get some rest and hopefully see his son as he had been too busy over the last few days to even have a simple meal with. After leaving his office on the upper level of the Operations centre, he was just about to place his feet on the elevator before an alarm rang at the science station.

"Elevated Neutrino readings, something is coming threw the wormhole Benjamin"

With a deep sigh he looked back at the young woman whom in an earlier incarnation, had been his long time friend and mentor.

"On screen Dax"

The main viewer blinked slightly to the somewhat majestic appearance of the only stable wormhole known to exist opening before them, seconds later a vessel appeared threw the haze of the event horizon of the wormhole.

"What the hell is that? Looks Starfleet, but I've never seen that design before"

"Check the history banks Doctor, that looks like Pre-Federation design…"

"Confirmed Benjamin… Specifically circa 2150s if memory serves"

Major Kira looked up at the screen with the rest of the crew in awe before she turned back to Dax.

"Dax, if that was built over 200 years ago, how did it get here?"

"Unknown, accessing ships IDC codes now…. Starfleet Vessel Discovery NX-04"

Chief of Operations officer Miles O'Brian looked up in shock as the name resonated with him, he knew that ship name.

"Sir, the Discovery vanished 6 days after it's launch, it was officially declared lost six months later"

"Six days, four hours and fifteen minutes to be exact Chief"

In shock the rest of the crew looked around at the young doctor in front of them, since he had little idea about history, it was something of large shock to know that he knew of this case"

"What? I collect mysteries, you know me with the hollo-novels"

With a slight smile Sisko looked at Dax, already running over the sensor data on this ancient ship.

"She's in perfect order, no life signs, it appears that all main systems have been deactivated from inside that ship, she's simply adrift"

"Chief lock on a tractor beam the instant she's in range"

"That won't do any good Ben, her current trajectory puts her heading out of the system on a parallel course"

"Okaaayyy. Then have the crew of the Defiant at posts immediately. Dax, Chief, Doctor And Mister Worf, lets get that ship"

Quickly the small team moved towards the transporter pad and beamed aboard the USS Defiant, a compact prototype destroyer that had more then proven herself in combat many times.

After a quick pre-flight check the tiny destroyer left space dock to intercept the ancient starship as it slowly moved out of the star system. As the Defiant matched the course and speed of Discovery she pulled along side as her sensors ran wild over the ship recording as much as possible as Sisko looked up at the screen.

"What've you got old man?"

"Life support and grav-plating is off-line… actually the whole ship is dark and frozen Ben"

"Alright, Environmental suits everyone, Chief Dax, Doctor and have an engineering team meet us in the transporter bay, Mr. Worf you have the bridge"

After suiting up the away team materialised on the Discovery's bridge, in awe they all looked around at the perfectly preserved example of pre-Federation design. The first too speak was Dax as she looked around in awe.

"My god, it's like a time capsule"

"All right everyone fan out, Chief take Connor and try to get the environmental systems on line, then get down to Engineering, if we can get power we can take her home under her own power it'll be a major moral boost for the fleet, while the rest try and get some power to these systems. Maybe we can find out what happened and where the crew is"

"Aye sir"

With a nod to Connor they both forced open the access panel behind the science station and climbed down the decks until they reached the engineering level, while the rest of the crew began to work on the bridge systems. As they entered engineering with only the light on their helmets to illuminate the large room shadows where cast giving an eerie appearance to the abandoned engine room, with no signs of a struggle or anything out of place O'Brien looked around with his jaw half open, with a look back at his companion Petty Officer Julie Connor he smiled.

"You know I've seen an Engine Room aboard the NX-01 in the Smithsonian, but it was nothing like this. Pretty much fresh of the production line"

"This is perfect Chief, where do we start?"

"Umm… Alright, moment over, let's get to work"

Quickly he gave her his orders as they began to inspect the vast horizontal engine core, it didn't take long before they knew what was wrong.

"Chief, the Anti-matter is completely drained…"

"Exactly, other then that she's fully operational, a quick refuel and she's up and running. All right, head on down to ships stores and they should be fully loaded"

"Aye sir"

"I'll see if I can get environmental systems back on line from here"

After ten minutes of checking and rechecking the systems, O'Brien finally got the environmental systems back on line as Julie, silently walked back into engineering carrying a large cylinder of Anti-matter. Silently she refuelled the Engine core and placed the cylinder near a far wall. With a few commands given to the computer the engine core began to pulse with energy once more.

"Nice work Julie"

Uncharacteristically the young Petty Officer nodded in silence as she began to check over several systems.

After ten minutes the atmosphere had began to return to the ancient vessel as Captain Sisko and his team began to check over the computers.

"Benjamin, the computer core has been erased"

"What?"

"It's empty"

"Are you sure Dax?"

"Check for your self?"

Since they had boarded this ship it had given everyone an eerie feeling, a feeling that had grown stronger by the minute, in the seven life times of the Dax symbiote but this situation had begun to get to her especially since the ship's database had been erased. Shaking off the feeling she looked up her old friend and one time student and smiled.

"I'll go down to the ships memory banks and check from their"

"All right, but no one goes alone. Take Julian with you, he's not doing much anyway"

With a smile they both left the bridge via the now operational elevator and quickly made way towards to the lower deck containing the computer memory access points. They had almost reached the room they needed before Dax stopped and let out a little scream as shock rippled threw her.

Bashir stopped and spun around as he saw a body lying on the floor in a standard Starfleet Environmental suit, quickly they ran over too the body and rolled it over.

"My god! Bashir to Sisko, you'd better get down here. We've got a problem"

Fifteen minutes later the body had been moved to the medical quarters as Bashir, Dax and Sisko stood together talking. The medical equipment on board was over 200 years out of date yet all they had was a field medic kit so some of the equipment that was operational had to be used.

"It appears as if something had drained all of the live out of her sir"

"How is that possible?"

"I wish I knew, what ever happened, she's dead and we have a problem"

With a deep sigh he tapped his comms badge and spoke with urgency.

"Sisko to O'Brien, I think you should come up to Sickbay immediately. We've found Petty Officer Connor, She's dead"

"What? Impossible sir, I've just been talking to her she's over by the engine core right now… What the hell? Sir she was right their"

"You'd better get up here Chief"

As quickly as his legs could carry him he ran threw the abandoned corridors of the Discovery until he eventually reached the Medical Quarters. As he pushed threw the doors he froze at the sight of the of the body on the bio-bed before him.

"What the hell? Sir she was just in engineering a few minutes ago"

"Chief, you've been under a lot of stress lately… she's been dead for almost an hour. She was still in the environmental suit when Dax and Bashir found her near the ship's stores"

"Again that's not possible, I sent her for something from ships stores, she brought it back and then we got everything up and running, granted she was quiet all the time but…"

"Chief, Miles…"

Before Bashir could finish his sentence every computer screen activated with the same blood stained panicked image of the ship's Captain.

"Captain's Log: Additional… It's been almost three weeks since we lost contact with Starfleet and Earth… The crew, my god the crew, what has happened? Where are we? Where have all the stars gone? And what is this void we've entered? If anyone from Starfleet is seeing this recording… I'll tap into external sensors before…. OHH MY GOD! NO… NOOOOOO!"

The image cleared to the external sensors, he was right, a void of the darkest blue, green and red possible as swirls of energy began to envelop the ship until only darkness remained. As quickly as the log entry was played every screen turned back to the medical displays as the Defiant crew looked at each other and finally to where the body of the Petty Officer had been laid out for autopsy, yet the body was gone and only her clothes remained.

"What the fu..."

As they looked down at the bio-bed in shock the sound of a blood curdling screams echoed threw the corridors that once again sent a chill down the battle hardened seasoned officers of the USS Defiant.


	2. Dark Times Ahead

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINCE

A Dark Discovery

Chapter Two:

"Dark Times Ahead"

As the screams died down Captain Sisko tapped his comms badge almost by instinct as he called the rest of his boarding party.

"Sisko too Porter and Jiasha Respond"

"Porter here Captain, we've just completed a survey of the bridge as ordered. She seems to be in full working order, once Chief O'Brien has repaired what ever damage is done too the engines we can simply fly her home"

"Then everything's okay up their?"

"Umm, yes sir… Jiasha has just got the helm operational, she says we can try a full test when ever engineering is ready"

"Then you didn't just hear anything… out of the ordinary?"

"Captain?…"

"Never mind, get down here too Sickbay immediately, both of you"

Looking around at the still stunned away team Sisko tapped his comms-badge once more.

"Sisko too Defiant, Commander Worf respond… Sisko too Defiant! Respond"

Quickly one by one the rest of the boarding party tried their own comms-badges, each failed quickly. Shivering slightly, as if being watched by some unseen force Jadzia Dax, Science officer spoke softly.

"Benjamin, perhaps we get ship too ship communications operational from the main array"

"Good idea, Dax we'll go down to the main comms array, Chief find out why that log entry keeps replaying while the database say's it's clean"

"I'll have too tap in threw several systems first, I could use the Commander's help"

"Alright, No one goes anywhere alone. Doctor, lets get down too the main array"

With a quick nod Dax Joined the Chief as they began too work on the systems. It seemed that every console on the ship would show them what the ship wanted them too know, but how was this possible?

On board the Defiant Lieutenant Commander Worf sat with concern in the Command chair, with each minute that passed and each moment they had lost contact he had began too get more and more, what was it that his new wife, Dax called it? Itchy feet? He decided that sounded right, now he was thinking like her, it was time for a change, he had had enough now.

"Try to raise them again Ensign"

"YES Sir!"

Said the young Ferengi Ensign as he worked his console, slowly he turned back to the large Klingon and shook his head slowly, to signify no response.

"Send the signal every five minutes, Get me Major Kira right away"

"Right Away…"

With a few taps of his console the young ensign looked back up with concern.

"Umm Sir, I can't raise the station, it appears we're being blocked"

"Explain"

"An unbelievably powerful energy field is jamming our signal up to almost five hundred kilometres in all directions"

"Locate the source"

"Unbelievably sir, it seems to be coming from the Discovery"

Quickly Worf looked up at the view screen in shock, Defiant should be able to cut threw a 200 year old ship's signal with ease, slowly he looked back at the Ferengi Ensign and barked his orders quickly.

Chief O'Brien and Dax had almost gotten threw the ancient decryption sequence as Dax's comms-badge chirped into life.

"Sisko to Dax, we've completed our repairs to the communications array, Dr Bashir is on his way back as I speak, please meet me on the bridge right away""Captain you said we should stay together…"

"NOW DAX!"

Reluctantly she left sickbay and along the dark corridor illuminated only by her wrist lantern, passing threw the unfamiliar corridors with only a torch for lighting made her feel even more on edge. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up as she heard foot steps approaching. Slowly she stepped backwards towards a bulk head and continued until the form of a tall human appeared into view.

"Julian? You scared the hell out of me"

"Sorry… Dax, The Captain is already on the bridge, and waiting for you"

With out so much as a smile or nod he continued on his way down the corridor leaving the Trill of seven lifetimes a little more unnerved, it wasn't like the young doctor to be quiet. But quickly she shook off the feeling and continued towards the bridge of the creepy and ancient starship.

Ten minutes later the doors too sickbay opened as the Doctor and Captain entered, looking around Captain Sisko stopped and spoke quickly to the Chief.

"Where's Dax?"

"Sir? She's gone to the bridge, as you ordered"

"What? I didn't order… We gotta find her"

Quickly with weapons drawn they ran out of the sickbay and across the corridors as fast their feet could carry them until they saw her in a corner curled up in a ball. Quickly they ran towards her as she moved away quickly crying and shouting for them to leave her alone.

Quickly the young Doctor grabbed her and held her down as the Captain tried to get threw too her, however she was too shaken, quickly the doctor reached into his back in injected her with a small sedative before the captain picking her up and taking her back to sickbay.

"Doctor Bashir to Porter and Jiasha , report too sickbay NOW! Keep your phasers on heavy stun, stun anything you see that isn't the both of you until you reach sickbay, do I make myself clear?"

"Understood Doctor, I assume these orders are from the Captain?"

"Yes, he's got his hands full at the moment. And err, Make it fast!"

Quickly the boarding team had assembled in sickbay around the bio bed where Dax had been placed, since her arrival back in sickbay she had been as yet unresponsive as Sisko looked down over his old friend.

"Doctor?"

"I don't know sir, I've never encountered anything like this before"

"Explain"

"Well, from what I can see there is nothing wrong with her… she's not unconscious, not asleep… nor dead. If we could get her back too Defiant I could run a more thorough test on her… this equipment is… obsolete and inadequate"

Slowly Bashir walked around too the imaging station sunk back into the wall and nodded softly too himself.

"Chief, can you get this thing operational?"

"What? THAT? We had to cannibalise parts for the computer, I'm afraid it's dead Julian"

As if from a 20th century horror movie Dax sat up with her eyes wide open and screamed out loud before looking around in shock.

"NOO GET OFF ME!"

"DAX! Take it easy…" Sisko replied "… You're in the Discovery's sickbay. What happened out their?"

Still shaking she looked around in panic before her eyes looked onto her crewmates and relaxed slightly.

"My god… We've gotta get off this ship now Benjamin"

"What happened?"

"Well, I got a call for you too meet you on the bridge, well I did. As I walked towards the bridge I felt a… a heavy darkness surrounding me. I drew my weapon and looked around, the next thing I saw was a large shadow, it rushed me before it formed into a human male… I could feel it's thoughts. With a dark smile on it's face it stood in front of me for what felt like years before it pushed it's hand threw my stomach, I could feel it's fingers squeezing my symbiote. I couldn't breath it was as if my life was being drained from my body. I remember seeing, something… it's uniform… it was wearing a…. old Starfleet uniform… my god Benjamin it was the Captain. But not if you know what I mean. It's eyes, nothing just black hollow holes, with dried blood down his face. His uniform was burnt and torn, I could see his flesh was burnt and almost hanging off his body"

Quickly she closed her eyes as if trying to rid herself of the image as Bashir took his field tricorder and began to scan the Dax symbiote as she continued.

"This happened in about, ten seconds before I felt another presence, darker more… just darker. What ever was trying too kill me saw this other presence and stopped. It's whole face changed too sheer terror before it rushed threw me and knocked me too the floor. As I turned too see what was behind me I saw the dark mass of the captain's… what ever rush into this other form. All I could see was just legs, female I think. Definitely human, but wearing nothing. Next was a brilliant flash of light and a deafening explosion before they both just vanished"

Listening too the story, everyone looked around some unnerved, others just intrigued as she sat on the bio-bed shaking with tears rolling down her face.

On board Defiant, Commander Worf was getting more and more concerned for the away team.

"Ensign, try and raise the away team once more. If we get no response…"

Before he could finish his sentence he was cut off by the young Ferengi.

"Sir, I have Captain Sisko on channel"

"Put him threw Mr Nog. Worf here sir"

"Mister Worf, prepare too transport myself back too Defiant"

"Captain?"

"Chief O'Brien and Commander Dax are taking over on Discovery… They are going too need a few supplies before they can bring Discovery back too the Station. Petty Officer Connor believes she can manage the ship from Engineering with the rest of the team while Chief O'Brien, Julian and Commander Dax man the bridge"

"Aye sir… Transporter room, lock on too Captain Sisko and bring him aboard…"

"Directly too the bridge Mr Worf"

"… Directly too the Bridge Transporter Room"

Moments later the form of the Captain materialised on the bridge in front of the view screen. Smiling slightly he relieved Worf from the Command Chair before taking his station in Command of the Defiant.


	3. Don't Fear the Reaper

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINCE

A Dark Discovery

Chapter Three:

"Don't Fear the Reaper"

In the past Federation Starships had been in contact with ancient vessels, for example the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 and her encounter with the S.S. Botany Bay lead to one of the most dangerous emergencies in the history of the Federation, the Genesis Emergency, as well as other dangerous examples, the crew had relaxed more since the return of Captain Sisko to the Defiant. Hoping this would not be yet another page in the same ever growing file.

Silently the Defiant followed along side the ancient Earth vessel as it began too exit the Bajoran Star System as Lt. Cmdr Worf sat at his console studying the read out on the energy field that surrounded the ship, many questions still echoed in his mind, 'How did Sisko communicate or even beam threw the interference?' Shaking off his questions he looked back at his Captain and give his report.

"Captain the energy field is once again surrounding both ships"

"Very well mister Worf, take the conn, I'll be in my quarters"

"Aye sir!"

As Worf stood from his chair he noticed something about the Captain was different, he couldn't quiet put his hand on it though.

He had been in the command chair over half an hour when a call echoed over the bridge intercom.

"Bridge this is Crewman Anders… I'm the mess hall, I've just found Ensign Parker… Dead!"

"Say again Mister Anders? Parker is dead?"

"Confirmed sir"

"I'll be right down… Ensign Nog, alert the Captain and Medical then take the Conn"

"Me Sir?… Aye sir!"

Quickly Worf ran threw the tiny ship until he reached the mess hall as he passed threw the doors, already a medical team was examining the body.

"Doctor?"

"Ahh Commander Worf, I assume the Captain is on his way… Well the body, it appears as if something had drained all of the live out of her"

"What?…"

His mind raced until he remembered something from his youth.

"…Doctor, check behind her left ear, is any discolouration present?"

Quickly the doctor look behind the victim's ear and slowly turned back towards the large Klingon officer.

"How… did you know?"

"Know what?"

A deep human voice rang out from behind him.

"Bruising behind the victim's ear Captain"

"I see"

"A story from my childhood, it tells of a hideous beast and evil spirit sent from darkness to capture the… souls of warriors, preventing the warrior from Sto-Vo-Kor. Legend says it can change it's form at will to… blend in with the living"

"Like the Grim Reaper?"

"Yes, this _'Grim Reaper' _would then take the soul to Gre'Thor. The only sign was a bruising behind the victim's left ear"

"Do not tell me you're afraid of this Reaper Mister Worf?…"

Worf Snarled at the mention of the word 'Fear' as his Captain smiled slightly.

"… Forgive me Mister Worf, for a moment I forgot who I was talking too. Alright, lock this location down, I want a full security check on the entire crews where about during this incident, and Doctor, full blood screenings just in case we have a Changeling on board, or Mister Worf's Reaper"

A slight laugh came from the crew present as Worf left the Mess hall as Sisko turned and smiled slightly at the Klingon officer as he left the large room.

On Board the Discovery, Chief O'Brien was once again busy working on the communications array, upon further inspection of the secondary systems it appeared a key component had been turn out, with out this component the whole system was off-line. Sighing deeply he began to look around the area for anything that could be used or modified to fit the comms array, nothing but what force could have ripped that component out of the wall with that amount of force. Wiping the sweat from his brow he stood an began to walk towards the door as his comms-badge sprang into life.

"…Repeat this is Deep Space Nine to Chief O'Brien…"

"O'Brien here, Major Kira? How did you manage to get threw the interference?"

"We're relaying threw Bajor amongst others …. Unsure of how long we can keep this link. Message from Dr Shonac reads, Molly O'Brien injured in fall from first level promenade… emergency surgery at the moment, prognosis…"

Before the message had ended the sound of static emanated from his communicator, panic stricken he ran out of the large room, down the corridor towards the rest of the boarding party. Quickly he ran threw the large double doors leading to sickbay, still on the bio-bed Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax sat attempting to focus the images out of her mind while working on a way off this ship.

"Chief, we heard is their anything we can do?"

"Yeah! Find a way off this wreck. And get me back to my daughter"

"We're working on it Chief, Jiasha is here while Porter and Bashir have gone down too the Shuttle bay, hopefully we can use a shuttle pod to get the hell out of here"

A second voice came from behind them as the sickbay doors opened.

"Don't worry Chief, We'll get you back to the Station quickly"

Half turning his head he smiled nervously as he saw where the voice had come from.

"Thank you Captain"

"Of course, now… how about we get down too engineering, we can set up a new command post from their"

"Of course"

Quickly the small boarding party entered the large engine room, with a worried smile in his eyes O'Brien looked around the engine core. Although he had been here not long ago, he stooped and took in the view of the large room.

"Chief, lets set up a command post in here, can you tap into the internal sensors from here?"

"Sorry Captain they're still off-line"

"All right what about…."

Suddenly alarm bells rang in the engine room as the engine core began to activate.

"What the hell?"

"Chief?"

"The core, she's powering up too go into warp!"

"What?"

"Sir, the inertial dampeners are at 10% and will not take a warp acceleration"

"Can you dump the core?"

"Ejection systems are off-line…"

"How long before it reaches warp speed?"

Quickly he climbed up too the Chief Engineer's console in front of the core.

"We got a little good news sir, thirty minutes"

"All right, Chief and Jiasha. Try too get this engine core off-line, Dax lets see if we can get the inertial dampeners to full power in case they fail"

Quickly Dax and Sisko left engineering as O'Brien jumped off the platform and ran to a console in some vein attempt to shut down the system as Jiasha continued working in an attempt to dump the engine core.

"Chief, I can't do this. The core jettison protocols have been erased, I'd have too program them from scratch"

"All right, let's work on shutting down the core"

As she worked towards him from the corner of his eye he saw a figure standing in the doorway watching them, quickly he whipped his head towards the figure but nothing was there.

"Did you see…? Never mind, I guess this place is getting to me"

"Of course…"

Replied his companion as she walked towards him, nervously he nodded yet once again he whipped his head around to the direction of the door, almost instantly he looked back at his companion.

"Okay tell me you heard and saw that?"

"Saw what Chief?"

Once more his head whipped around as he heard the sound of a child crying.

"I can hear crying…"

"Chief, Perhaps you should…"

"I'll be right back Jiasha"

Quickly he left the engine room by the door he thought he heard the crying, yet the sound had stopped only to be replaced by the sound of bare feet on a metal floor.

"Hello?"

Quickly the sound stopped, he listened for a few moment before shaking it off and returning to his mission at hand, as he stepped threw the door, once more a voice called after him stopping him in his tracks.

"Daddy"

Almost the instant he stopped an huge energy surge blasted out from the warp core and struck the young Bajoran engineer, vaporizing her slowly from the inside as she screamed for his help, while all he could do was stand and watch the horrific sight take place.


	4. Resistance is Deadly

_STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINCE_

_A Dark Discovery_

_Chapter Four:_

"_Resistance is Deadly"_

Shock and anger instantly took over O'Brien as his assistant disappeared before his eyes, yet the voice he heard was that real? On in his mind 'What the hell is going on around here?' he thought as he tapped his com badge.

"O'Brien to all hands… Jiasha is dead, Captain I think you'd better back get up here Sir!"

Still a little weary about going near the warp core he pulled out his tricorder and began a thorough scan the area, everything was normal. Nothing could have caused the energy blast he saw vaporise his friend before his very eyes, but what made the voice that called him? And why was he the only one that heard it?

After the call from O'Brien the Captain and Science officer quickly ran threw the corridors towards the large engine core that powered the ship, as they rounded the next corner Sisko stopped dead in his tracks as Dax continued threw the corridors. What stopped Sisko was a whisper echoing in his ears.

"Ben…"

Suddenly fire exploded threw the corridor as the sound of a standard Starfleet red alert claxon was drowned out by screams and panic as explosions rippled threw the deck plating. 'This is not happening. It's all in your head' He told himself as the over powering odour of thick smoke filled his lungs as he coughed heavily.

"Ben… Help me…"

Once more the voice filled the room, as his eyes darted around, flames filled one corner as a figure in a pink two piece bikini began too appear threw the raging inferno. His eyes widened as he saw who stood before him.

"J-Jennifer?"

"Help Me Ben… It hurts… Please help me"

Quickly he looked away as he spoke.

"No! It's all in your head"

"Ben… Please!"

The figure of his long dead wife screamed forcing him to look back, his face turned too a look of horror as something began too move around under her skin before a large metallic object irrupted from under her left jaw and latched onto her skin. Quickly more and more metallic objects irrupted from all over her body, all he could do was watch in horror as she screamed in pain. In an instant a large cybernetic attachment covered her left arm as her face change to one of pure evil as she smiled and harshly spoke.

"Resistance… is Futile!"

Quickly the image that was once his wife, now covered in Borg armour leapt towards him as he stood frozen in shock only to be stopped in it's tracks by the immediate appearance of a naked woman standing before him and grabbed the apparition of his wife, slowly they vaporised before him leaving nothing but the corridor of the Discovery surrounding him. He was about to turn and run after Dax as a hand was placed on his shoulder forcing him to turn and draw his phaser with lightening speed, as his vision focused he dropped his weapon quickly as he saw Dax standing before him.

"Jesus Christ Benjamin, what the hell are you doing?"

"Did you see it? Her, them? You must have seen them"

Puzzled she looked around before focusing back on the Captain who was visibly shaken by what he had just seen.

"Seen who Ben?"

"Jen… Something is wrong with this vessel, horribly wrong. Gather the away team, we're leaving"

"Ben, we're trying too remember? Jiasha has just been killed in Engineering we where heading their before I lost you" She replied.

"What? Of course"

Slowly he reached down and picked up his weapon and followed Dax towards the Engine room, as they entered Chief O'Brien was stood talking to Dr Bashir, describing what had happened too his assistant. Slowly he entered still unnerved by his earlier encounter, quickly he straightened his composure and walked over to O'Brien standing by the warp core.

"Chief…. Chief, report"

Slowly O'Brien described the incident which had killed Jiasha moments earlier, he was still shaking slightly as Sisko listened.

"… Something is wrong is wrong with this ship Captain. Reminds me of the Mary Celeste"

"Mary Celeste?" The Doctor Replied.

Quickly the Chief Petty Officer told them the story of the ancient ocean faring vessel that was considered to be a ghost ship centuries ago as Sisko looked on in shock.

"Sounds like what Dax had seen… And myself not too long ago, what the hell is wrong with this vessel?"

"Captain?" Dax replied with concern.

"Just before you found me, I saw Jennifer… she irrupted with Borg implants, she was just about to get too me when…. Something, a young woman, naked… stopped her, I could see her face but I got a dark feeling from them both. Yet the woman, protected me…"

"Benjamin, could this woman be the same woman that I saw? And stopped O'Brien from being hit by the energy?"

Both of them looked at Dax and then back too each other as Sisko replied.

"Plausible, Old Man… lets just get down too the shuttle bay and leave this ship"

Quickly the boarding party ran threw the corridors to the shuttle bay as Porter was standing in the observation room over the two shuttle pods, with a wave of his hand he signalled towards O'Brien to join him. In an instant he ran up the ladder to the small room as Porter was staggering with the controls.

"Porter?"

"Chief… I can't get the doors opened, they seem to be sealed shut"

"Let me try"

Rushing, O'Brien brushed him aside softly before working the controls. From the hanger deck, Sisko, Dax and Bashir watched as O'Brien worked the controls as in an instant the Observation Deck door sealed shut and gas filled the tiny room as they both struggled for breath. Quickly the three ran up the steps and tried to pull the door open as they both fell to the floor, quickly the three of them pulled out their phasers and set too full power and aimed them at the door, yet nothing happened.

As O'Brien and Porter gasped for the last breath of breathable air Bashir looked at the door and yelled.

"MILES"

Moments later O'Brien's vision faded to nothing as his last breath exhaled. Slowly the door opened and the gas had cleared as Bashir ran in quickly and check over the two and looked down at the floor slowly.

"They're dead sir"

"WHAT?" Sisko yelled out loud.

"I can't do anything, I'm sorry sir"


	5. The Reaper Cometh

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE  
A Dark Discovery

Chapter Five:  
"The Reaper Cometh"

The Starship Discovery, lost to Earth for hundreds of years now slowly made it's way out of the Bajoran star system as her warp core slowly powered up, ever followed by the USS Defiant, the seasoned Federation battle ship. Although contact had been lost between the two ships and the space station Deep Space Nine.

Lt Commander Worf slowly patrolled the ship watching every crew member as his mind raced with legends and Klingon horror stories told to him by his human parents rumours had flown around the ship at warp speed about the death of the crewmen earlier in the day, yet something was different aboard ship, the whole feeling of the vessel was heavier somehow almost as if the gravity was stronger pulling him into the deck plating however no other crewmember had mentioned the change threw out the ship. Growling slightly to himself he shock off the feeling until the sound of a scream filled the corridors of the tiny starship. In an instant he drew the weapon on his hip and ran towards the screams quickly followed by random crew members that heard the sound.

As he entered personal quarters of a crewmember he could see a young man, barely in his twenties being held off the floor as a dark cloud flowed threw his body as he gasped for that final breath of ship recycled air. The instant he entered the room two dark orbs appeared in the centre of the large black mass and peered directly into his soul causing the large Klingon warrior to shiver slightly as the cloud disappeared in a flash of blue light that blinded him. As his vision cleared the body of the young crewmen fell to the floor as his skin shrivelled to an empty husk.

"Worf to sickbay, we have another body. Security Alert all decks, Captain Sisko to Crewman Bennett's quarters"

"On my way"

Quickly Captain Sisko appeared at Worf's side as the medical team entered and rushed too the body of the crewman. Quickly Worf explained what he saw to the captain, with a smile the captain looked at Worf and replied.

"You're 'reaper' again Mister Worf? Perhaps you should go to sickbay yourself"

"Captain I know what I saw"

"Mister Worf, you are relieved of duty pending a FULL psychological evaluation and confined to quarters"

"CAPTAIN…"

"NOW WORF, or I will have security remove you"

With a dangerous look in his eyes, Worf left the scene slowly, as he walked threw the corridors he ran threw past events in his mind he was brought back to reality by a young Ensign bumping into him and hitting the floor.

"I'm sorry Sir"

Snapping back to reality he looked down on the young Ferengi officer and stretched out his hand.

"Forgive me Ensign"

As he helped up the young officer he thought quickly.

"Ensign, the message you got from the captain… where did it come from?"

"The Discovery sir?"

"What about the dampening field surrounding the Discovery?"

"For a while it dissipated sir, once the captain beamed over it re-established it's self"

"I see…"

Stepping closer to him he spoke quietly.

"Run the check again and then report directly to me…"

"Sir?"

"Understood Mister Nog?"

"Aye sir!"

Late August 2155...

Captain William Harrison, commander of Starfleet's latest starship prepared his ship and crew for the inaugural flight of the vessel, quickly his crew ran around the bridge as they completed the pre-flight checks as with a smile he looked up at the view screen.

"Spacedock, this is Discovery, pre-flight complete we're ready to launch"

"Roger that Discovery… Launch when ready"

"Discovery confirms. Helm, one quarter thrusters, lay in a course out of dock and towards the proving grounds"

With a large smile on her face the helm officer and first officer engaged the thrusters pushing the ship forward towards a new frontier and legend for Starfleet.

"_Captain's Star Log Additional… For two weeks we've been at warp three heading towards the new starship proving grounds, our last communication for command informed us of the successful launch of the our sister ship the Challenger NX-03 since her launch was set back a month due to engine difficulties. I must admit this vessel and her crew have performed beyond my expectations, I can only hope we will make a difference in the ongoing conflict with the Romulan Star Empire. What is not known by many is that Starfleet is loosing the battle and currently in negotiations with the Klingon High Council for assistance, if all fails Starfleet will be left with no other choice but to surrender to the superior force"_

Silently the captain made his way threw the ship towards the bridge as the battle stations signal flushed threw out the almost as the vessel was rocked by a huge shockwave that knocked everyone around him to the ground. Quickly he jumped to his feet and broke into a full run pushing crewmembers out of his way as he entered the bridge, his eyes froze on the large screen before him as a large vortex appeared beneath the vessel.

"What the hell is that?"

Quickly the Andorian science officer looked into his sensor read outs, his eyes opened quickly as he tried to make sense of the readings before him.

"Readings are off the scale captain, I have never seen anything like"

"Speculate"

"I wouldn't know were to begin… perhaps some form of trans-dimensional wormhole of some kind"

In an instant a large shockwave rushed towards the ship pulling it closer, a loud ear piercing scream enveloped the ship as the crew fell to the floor unconscious while the vessel was pulled deeper into the void beneath them.

"_Captain's Log: Additional… It's been almost three weeks since we lost contact with Starfleet and Earth… The crew, my god the crew, what has happened? Where are we? Where have all the stars gone? And what is this void we've entered? If anyone from Starfleet is seeing this recording… I'll tap into external sensors before…. OHH MY GOD! NO… NOOOOOO!"_

The image cleared to the external sensors, he was right, a void of the darkest blue, green and red possible as swirls of energy began to envelop the ship until only darkness remained.

Present Day…

Aboard the Discovery the boarding party had begun to come to terms with the death of Mile Edward O'Brian as his body lay covered with a sheet found in stores as Dr Bashir looked up at Dax and the Captain.

"I'm sorry, I've done all I can"

"Ben, we need to get off this ship, NOW"

"I know, but it seems that this ship is…"

"Haunted?" Dax replied

"I was about to say holding us here. Something doesn't want us to leave"

In an instant her eyes drifted to a corner of sickbay a dark cloud began to form to reveal the image of a young woman, instantly the seasoned captain's eyes darted to the corner in shock as in unison to spoke.

"Connor?"

"No, but we thought it would be easier for us to communicate with you, using the image of some one you knew"

"What the hell is going on here?"

"You and your people in grave danger Captain Sisko…"

"What the hell is going on here?"

Her voice was soft and beautiful, yet had a certain harsh tone as she continued with difficulty.

"The image of your late wife… is why I was sent here. This ship… has been where your kind should have never ventured. We tried to send it back before it's crew had noticed, but we failed. The ship… brought… this language is difficult for us, it brought something back with it. Now I am here to bring them back"

"Back to where?"

"It is difficult to explain… I can show you, if you wish"

With a nod from the Captain, the image of Connor leapt forward and kissed him full on the mouth. Images flowed threw his mind, it was a horrible sight that would remain with him forever in his nightmares. Images that he could never have explained.

Connor stepped back and continued.

"What you have just seen is what you would refer to as…"

"Hell" he replied harshly.

"As good a term as any, Eons ago one race occupied the universe and eventually evolved into pure energy amongst other forms. Some you know as the Q, however during this time of awakening negative emotions ad been cast out, yet it remained intact and formed a new species. Realising what had happened the others used their combined ability and cast out this force into a new reality or realm as you would call it. One of the superior being went along as guardian to make sure that this force would never be allowed to escape, at least until this vessel appeared. Quickly we pushed it back into your reality what we didn't know was some of this dark force was able to follow the ship. I was created by my master to return this force back to where it came from… but first you and your people have to leave or spend an eternity where you do not belong"

Still recovering from the images in his mind Sisko looked around at Dax and Bashir who listened with horror and interest.

"Why are they killing my crew?"

"My master believes it needs more energy to exist in this reality, eventually it will be more powerful then my master can deal with, that is why you must leave now"

With a sigh Dax looked at the image before her and replied.

"Then explain why you have to be naked to communicate with us"

"That has nothing to do with anything Jadzia Dax, the creature that attacked you and your captain was a manifestation of this energy force… it wants you to fear it before it takes your life, fear makes it stronger. It is the basis of many religions threw out this galaxy and beyond, a vision of purgatory or hell"

"Eternal torment? Then your master would be…" Bashir replied

"He has many names from an infinite number of worlds, Apollyon, Mephistopheles, brute, common enemy, dybbuk, hellion to name a few now he calls himself…"

Quickly Bashir interrupted as the names resonated with in him.

"Legion?"

"Correct, my time is short I must return to where I came from. They are getting stronger only one other suspects the truth a Klingon… he is now in grave danger as are you all. Once the force has what it needs others will come threw the gateway and your reality will burn…"

As she continued the reality around him began to slow as she was clearly saying something that only he should hear.

"… as a sign of out true intentions Captain Sisko I have been authorised to return to you one of your crew, yet a price is always placed attached a price we intend to collect soon"


	6. Resurection and Death

STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

A Dark Discovery

Chapter Six:

"Resurrection and Death"

As quickly as reality changed for the Captain it returned to normal, shaking off the terrifying images still lingering in his mind Sisko looked at what remained of his boarding party as they looked on in shock at the last few moments replayed in their minds, the silence lasted for what appeared to be hours until Dax spoke with a voice filled with fear, stress and shock.

"Benjamin? What the hell just happened?"

"I… I have no idea. You're the science officer Dax think of something"

"We're way beyond science now Ben more…"

In an instant Bashir replied with all the confidence that had come too him since his genetic back ground had been revealed to the universe.

"Supernatural? Biblical? Captain we have too…"

Instantly the three battle hardened officer almost jumped out of their skins as a bio-bed activated, quickly the three of them looked in the direction of the covered bio-bed as a deep breath was heard and the covers moved with the breath of the once dead.

"What the hell?"

Quickly Bashir grabbed his medical tricorder and began to scan the once corpse of a fallen crewmember, shock rippled threw him as the medical scanner recorded the standard bio signs of a living human being. A scream echoed threw the ancient sickbay as the body bolted upright like something out of an old horror movie as the covers fell away to reveal the newly revived officer.

"Chief?"

"PORTER!"

Shaking violently Dax stepped towards O'Brien and wrapped her arms around him as he looked in shock at the Captain and Doctor before he spoke.

"Julian? Captain? Where am I?"

"Discovery Sickbay Chief… What do you remember?"

O'Brien's eye locked on the Captain as he spoke with a tremble in his voice, his Irish accent seemed to have become stronger as he spoke.

"Discovery, What are you talking about? Umm… we where in Quark's, Julian and me… we where discussing the Alamo… a Holo-program. Major Kira got some info from Dukat… then I woke up here sir"

"Chief are you sure?" replied Julian

"Yeah!"

"Miles, that was three weeks ago"

Laughing O'Brien threw the cover off him as he looked around the room he was in.

"My god, NX-Class? Circa 22nd century… What the hell is happening around here?"

Sisko sat on the bio-bed next to O'Brien as the three described what had happened since the Discovery appeared in the space around Deep Space Nine, once more he laughed as he looked around, yet the serious faces on his friends and colleagues brought him back to reality as if he was slapped in his face hard.

"You're saying I was dead? And this whatever it was brought me back? Why can't I remember anything past three weeks ago?"

"Dax and I will run some tests when we get back to the station… until then"

"Until then chief, we're stuck on ship that is trying to kill us, with no way off…"

With pain still ringing in his head from the encounter with what ever had taken Connor's form, the Captain looked deep into O'Brien's eyes and continued.

"… We need to get off this ship. NOW"

"What about the life pods Captain?"

"We've already tried, they're fused in placed, the shuttle pods out of the question since that's where…"

"I died? If memory serves this ship is equipped with what used to be state of the art transporters. What about that unit?"

The small team looked at each other in shock as they had forgotten about the transporter, but using that unit. But it could be fraught with hidden dangers since what ever had taken this ship, could have easily have manipulated the transporter unit. Moments past as the shaken away team ran threw the ship to the transporter, as they arrived and the transporter it instantly powered up with an ominous dark blue, green and red glow pulsating threw the walls behind the large unit.

"Ben that looks like…"

"The vortex that started all of this, I know Old man… but it could be our only way out. Chief can you work this thing?"

With a cocky laugh and smile O'Brien looked at the control unit and nodded.

"It appears to be already set for the Defiant's bridge sir… obviously something wants us out of here quickly. I'll set for a ten second delay, get on the pads and stand by"

Nodding quickly the three officer stepped onto the pad as O'Brien set the controls and followed them, ten seconds later the unit activated as slowly the began to dematerialise, they could not say if it was transporter effect, stress of this last mission but threw the haze of the transporter a dark cloud formed into the shape of the Discovery's Captain along with the image of the being that had taken Connor's body stood facing each other as energy flowed from both their bodies and crashed in an explosion of energy that rocked the ship violently. The next thing they saw was the bridge of the Defiant as a shocked crew looked at them.

"Captain Sisko? You're… what is going on sir?"

Sisko looked at the young Ferengi officer on the bridge and sighed deeply.

"Target that ship with Quantum Torpedoes, I want that thing out of my sky Mister Nog"

"Captain?"

Dax stepped towards the weapons console and launched every torpedo she could at the Discovery, massive explosions tore the ship apart as the powerful warheads exploded along every part ship destroying her with the force of a 24th centuries most powerful Starfleet warheads.

"Helm, set course for the station maximum speed"

"Ben, where's Julian?"

Bashir awoke in a dark cramped space, the transport had been rough on the doctor as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness he shouted as loud as he could as a large object moved slowly towards him.

"SHIT! STOP THE ELEVATOR!"

With the Defiant docked at the station Sisko and his command staff gathered in his office as the discussed what to do next, the Discovery had torn a hole to a dark and evil place. Everything they thought they knew about the universe had been thrown out of the airlock and replaced with fear.

"… Luckily Bashir wasn't harmed, but visibly shaken. The message from what seemed like you Major was this… entity trying to get to the Chief. We lost three good crew on that ship of the damned, almost four, the question is what do we do next?"

"Captain if this evil you encountered is still out their, you should report it to Starfleet"

"Major if we send in this file, they'll think we've all gone crazy. Battle Fatigue, or some other psychological crap. We burry this, clean all files on the station and defiant that mentions the Discovery. As of now, this subject is none existent. Chief, go home. Spend some time with your family… Bashir, Dax… burry this NOW! Dismissed"

Dax and Bashir left Sisko's office for Dax's console while the rest of the command crew returned to duty. After leaving his office on the upper level of the Operations centre, he was just about to place his feet on the elevator before an alarm rang at the science station.

"Elevated Neutrino readings, something is coming threw the wormhole Benjamin"

With a deep sigh he looked back at the young woman whom in an earlier incarnation, had been his long time friend and mentor.

"On screen Dax"

The main viewer blinked slightly to the somewhat majestic appearance of the only stable wormhole known to exist opening before them, seconds later a vessel appeared threw the haze of the event horizon of the wormhole. Sisko's eyes opened wide as he looked at the screen in shock while Dax and Bashir stood from their seats slowly.

"That's… the Discovery Ben, no doubt about it"

"Fire everything we have at that god damned thing!"

Months later…

Tears welled up Sisko's eyes as stood over the flag of the United Federation of Planets lovingly and carefully placed over the coffin of Jadzia Dax.

"I'm sorry Dax… They said they would collect on a debt, I never meant it to be you…"

Captain Benjamin L. Sisko and his son Jake had left Deep Space Nine for the final time and returned to Earth indefinitely as the Dax symbiote was returned to the Trill homeworld for implantation in another host. The newly promoted Colonel Kira walked down the steps into the lower level of the Operations centre of the station as a male Bajoran voice called out from behind here.

"Elevated Neutrino readings, something is coming threw the wormhole"

With a sigh she looked up at the view screen as the majestic wormhole opened, Bashir, O'Brien and Kira looked at the screen as the blood flowed from their faces as fear over took them, Kira spoke first. Her usually strong military voice cracked and shook with fear as her legs began to fail beneath her.

"In the name of the Profits, it's the Discovery"

The End.

Story by GW Ryan


End file.
